After a 35-year building hiatus, the nine colleges in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) needed a major facelift. Facilities on LACCD campuses were antiquated and had fallen into disrepair. For years, students voiced dismay, saying their campuses resembled high schools rather than colleges. Inadequate infrastructure drove many students to neighboring campuses with more resources and better facilities. To upgrade, the district took a nontraditional design path. Though the LACCD sought to construct modern, sustainable buildings, its top priority remains providing students with a quality education, a healthy learning environment, and good academic resources. At the nine-campus LACCD, planners are taking advantage of a major LEED-certified construction project to cultivate a new sense of pride among students and faculty. Where LACCD once lacked curb appeal, today the nine colleges are bustling with some of the finest contemporary architecture and green technology. New buildings districtwide have had a positive impact on students, who linger around campus longer and have expressed enthusiasm about the improvements.